For
centuries, earthworms have been used as a means of decomposing wastes and
improving soil structure. Increasing numbers of businesses worldwide are
successfully employing vermiculture technology and marketing vermicompost as an
excellent soil conditioner, to farmers and gardeners. The breeding and
propagation of earthworms and the use of its castings has become an important
method of waste recycling throughout the world. It is common to use earthworms
on industrial scales to aerate, sanitize and deodorize many types of
contaminated waste sludge. For instance, Japan imports millions of tons of
earthworms per annum for waste conversion. Worms are odorless and free from
disease. Vermiculture looks set to emerge as a significant waste management
technology.

Vermicomposting can be conducted all year-round, providing environmental
conditions remain within acceptable limits. For increased efficiency, care
should be taken to ensure that organic feedstocks and conditions allow worms to
reproduce successfully and to withstand moisture and climatic fluctuations.
Given suitable conditions, vermicomposting appears to provide a relatively
straightforward solution to the management of compostable organic wastes.

Earthworms are hermaphroditic - that is, each worm is both male and female and
each can produce eggs and fertilize the eggs produced by another worm. Under
perfect conditions a mature breeder will produce an egg capsule every 7 to 10
days, each containing over 1 dozen hatchlings. Development takes 14-21 days and,
once hatched, the newly-emerged worms reach maturity in approximately four to
six weeks, meaning that the worm population may double each month.

System Advantages

The process is
odorless

The end product
vermicast is odorless, smelling like fresh soil.

Vermicast has a
high market value as a fertilizer or soil conditioner.